Texas Forced to Remove Migrant Deterrent Barriers on Rio Grande

A federal judge has ordered Texas to remove floating barriers in the Rio Grande and prohibited the state from constructing new barriers or adding additional buoys in the river. The judge's ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department, which argued that Texas violated the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act by building structures in US waters without permission. The judge stated that Governor Greg Abbott needed permission to install the barriers and dismissed Texas' self-defense argument. The barriers were intended to deter migrants from crossing into Texas from Mexico.